Using the DSSAT model to simulate wheat yield and soil organic carbon under a wheat-maize cropping system in the North China Plain

Crop modelling can facilitate researchers＇ ability to understand and interpret experimental results, and to diagnose yield gaps. In this paper, the Decision Support Systems for Agrotechnology Transfer 4.6 （DSSAT） model together with the CENTURT soil model were employed to investigate the effect of low nitrogen （N） input on wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） yield, grain N concentration and soil organic carbon （SOC） in a long-term experiment （19 years） under a wheat-maize （Zea mays L.） rotation at Changping, Beijing, China. There were two treatments including NO （no N application） and N150 （150 kg N ha-1） before wheat and maize planting, with phosphorus （P） and potassium （K） basal fertilizers applied as 75 kg P205 ha-1 and 37.5 kg K^O ha-~, respectively. The DSSAT-CENTURY model was able to satisfactorily simulate measured wheat grain yield and grain N concentration at NO, but could not simulate these parameters at N150, or SOC in either N treatment, Model simulation and field measurement showed that N application （N150） increased wheat yield compared to no N application （NO）. The results indicated that inorganic fertilizer application at the rates used did not maintain crop yield and SOC levels. It is suggested that if the DSSAT is calibrated carefully, it can be a useful tool for assessing and predicting wheat yield, grain N concentration, and SOC trends under wheat-maize cropping systems.

The microbial community,nutrient supply and crop yields differ along a potassium fertilizer gradient under wheat-maize double-cropping systems

Soil microorganisms play critical roles in ecosystem function.However,the relative impact of the potassium(K)fertilizer gradient on the microbial community in wheat-maize double-cropping systems remains unclear.In this long-term field experiment(2008-2019),we researched bacterial and fungal diversity,composition,and community assemblage in the soil along a K fertilizer gradient in the wheat season(K0,no K fertilizer;K1,45 kg ha^(-1) K_(2)O;K_(2),90 kg ha^(-1)K_(2)O;K3,135 kg ha^(-1)K_(2)O)and in the maize season(K0,no K fertilizer;K_(1),150 kg ha^(-1) K_(2)O;K_(2),300 kg ha^(-1)K_(2)O;K_(3),450 kg ha^(-1)K_(2)O)using bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal internally transcribed spacer(ITS)data.We observed that environmental variables,such as mean annual soil temperature(MAT)and precipitation,available K,ammonium,nitrate,and organic matter,impacted the soil bacterial and fungal communities,and their impacts varied with fertilizer treatments and crop species.Furthermore,the relative abundance of bacteria involved in soil nutrient transformation(phylum Actinobacteria and class Alphaproteobacteria)in the wheat season was significantly increased compared to the maize season,and the optimal K fertilizer dosage(K2 treatment)boosted the relative bacterial abundance of soil nutrient transformation(genus Lactobacillus)and soil denitrification(phylum Proteobacteria)bacteria in the wheat season.The abundance of the soil bacterial community promoting root growth and nutrient absorption(genus Herbaspirillum)in the maize season was improved compared to the wheat season,and the K2 treatment enhanced the bacterial abundance of soil nutrient transformation(genus MND1)and soil nitrogen cycling(genus Nitrospira)genera in the maize season.The results indicated that the bacterial and fungal communities in the double-cropping system exhibited variable sensitivities and assembly mechanisms along a K fertilizer gradient,and microhabitats explained the largest amount of the variation in crop yields,and improved wheat?maize yields by 11.2-22.6 and 9.2-23.8%with K addition,respectively.These modes are shaped contemporaneously by the different meteorological factors and soil nutrient changes in the K fertilizer gradients.

Long-term organic and inorganic fertilizations enhanced basic soil productivity in a fluvo-aquic soil

The improvement of soil productivity depends on a rational input of water and nutrients, optimal field management, and the increase of basic soil productivity（BSP）. In this study, BSP is defined as the productive capacity of a farmland soil with its own physical and chemical properties for a specific crop season under local field management. Based on 19-yr data of the long-term agronomic experiments（1989–2008） on a fluvo-aquic soil in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer（DSSAT ver. 4.0） crop growth model was used to simulate yields by BSP of winter wheat（Triticum aestivium L.） and summer maize（Zea mays L.） to examine the relationship between BSP and soil organic carbon（SOC） under long-term fertilization. Five treatments were included：（1） no fertilization（control）,（2） nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers（NPK）,（3） NPK plus manure（NPKM）,（4） 1.5 times of NPKM（1.5NPKM）, and（5） NPK plus straw（NPKS）. After 19 yr of treatments, the SOC stock increased 16.7, 44.2, 69.9, and 25.2% under the NPK, NPKM, 1.5NPKM, and NPKS, respectively, compared to the initial value. Among various nutrient factors affecting contribution percentage of BSP to winter wheat and summer maize, SOC was a major affecting factor for BSP in the fluvo-aquic soil. There were significant positive correlations between SOC stock and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize（P〈0.01）, and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize increased 154 and 132 kg ha^（–1） when SOC stock increased 1 t C ha^（–1）. Thus, increased SOC accumulation is a crucial way for increasing BSP in fluvo-aquic soil. The manure or straw combined application with chemical fertilizers significantly enhanced BSP compared to the application of chemical fertilizers alone.

Model construction for field operation machinery selection and configuration in wheat-maize double cropping system

In order to scientifically and reasonably select the field operation machinery in the wheat-maize double cropping system,first,the selection evaluation index system was constructed through the existing national standards and industry standards.Then the selection evaluation model was established based on the improved fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method.And the method of subjective weight and objective weight was used to overcome the drawbacks of the previous single weighting method that could not take into account the subject and object information of each indicator,and the weight value of each index was obtained in the evaluation system.Finally,the tillage process was used as an example,the field experiment was carried out to obtain the evaluation index value,and the model of selection evaluation was verified.The selection results of moldboard plough and rotary cultivator were as follows:the order of the comprehensive evaluation results of the moldboard plough results was ranked from high to low as 1LFK-435(IIM),1LFK-535(IM),1LF-342(IIIM),1LFT-445(IVM),1LFT-545(VM),and the best machine type of the moldboard plough was IIM;the order of the comprehensive evaluation results of the rotary cultivator was ranked from high to low as 1GQKGN-240(IIIR),1GKNSM-250(IVR),1GKN-230K(IR),1GKN-250K(IIR),1GQKGN-220(VR),and the optimal model of the rotary cultivator was IIIR.The experimental results showed that the results obtained by the evaluation model were in agreement with the local actual situation.The evaluation model will provide a scientific method for the selection of wheat and maize double cropping field operation machinery.

Analysis of the Bacterial Communities in Lime Concretion Black Soil upon the Incorporation of Crop Residues

To analyze the bacterial communities in lime concretion black soil upon the incorporation of crop residues for two years in wheat-maize system, total DNA was directly extracted and PCR-amplified with the F357GC and R518 primers targeting the 16S rRNA genes of V3 region. The amplified fragments were analyzed by perpendicular DGGE. Analyzing of species richness index S and Shannon diversity index H revealed that there was a high diversity of soil bacterial community compositions among all treatments after incorporation of crop residues and fertilizing under field conditions. Eleven DGGE bands recovered were re-amplified, sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the representative DGGE fingerprints identified four groups of the prokaryotic communities in the soil by returning wheat residues and fertilizing under field conditions. The bacterial communities belonged to gamma proteobacterium, Cupriavidus sp, halophilic eubacterium, Acidobacterium sp, Sorangium sp, delta proteobacterium, Streptococcus sp and Streptococcus agalactiae were main bacterial communities. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that there were the differences in DNA profiles among the six treatments. It showed that wheat residue returning, maize residue returning and fertilizing all can improve bacterial diversity in varying degrees. As far as improvement of bacterial diversity was concerned, wheat residue returning was higher than fertilizing, and fertilizing higher than maize residue returning.

Soil physical properties,nutrients,and crop yield with two-year tillage rotations under a winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system

Winter wheat and summer maize were planted from 2015-2017 to study the effects of different rotational tillage patterns on soil physicochemical properties,crop yield,water content,and fertilizer utilization.The tillage treatments were designed as wheat subsoiling-maize no tillage(WS-MN),wheat rotary tillage-maize subsoiling(WR-MS),wheat subsoiling-maize subsoiling(WS-MS),and conventional wheat rotary tillage-maize no tillage(WR-MN)as a control.Among the four treatments,WS-MN and WR-MS were single-season subsoiling treatments,and WS-MS was a two-season subsoiling treatment.The average soil bulk density decreased by 7.6%in the single-and double-season subsoiling groups compared to the WR-MN group,and the total porosity and noncapillary porosity increased by 10.7%and 12.2%,respectively.Single-or double-season subsoiling treatment was not conducive to water storage in the 0-20 cm soil layer but increased the water content of the 20-140 cm soil layer,and the average soil water content of the 0-140 cm layer was increased by 11.6%in the two-growing season treatment groups compared with the WR-MN group.In WS-MS and WS-MN groups compared with the WR-MN group,the soil ammonium nitrogen content was increased by an average of 18.6%in 0-20 cm soil and 16.8%in 20-100 cm soil;soil nitrate-nitrogen content was decreased by 13.5%in 0-100 cm soil;total organic carbon and microbial carbon contents in the 15-30 cm soil were increased by 18.1%and 12.7%,respectively;and soil urease,catalase,and alkaline phosphatase activities were increased by 46.1%,15.2%,and 23.1%,respectively.Annual crop yield and water use efficiency increased by 8.9%and 15.0%,respectively,in both the single-and double-season subsoiling treatment groups.This study demonstrated the advantages of subsoiling tillage and suggested that it is suitable for crop cultivation in the Haihe Plain,China.